ArtOutWithYourHeArtOut

March 5, 2014 · 12:35 pm

Art Journal Update for February

Art Out With Your HeART Out

Hello hello friends! A quick check-in to show you some of my creative journey from February. I worked in my art journal a bit….

Neon Garden

This page started out because I wanted to play with twisted masking tape for texture. After I put down my masking tape and gessoed over it I stenciled the bricks and started squirting acrylic ink around and one thing led to another and thus was born Neon Garden.

I love, love, love, how the bricks turned out!

Abstract to the Max

When I began this page I knew I wanted to do something abstract so this was completely experimental. I kept layering and layering with mists, paint, gloss medium, and finally Vintaj Patina for Metal! I love the effect and texture that this medium added to my page. I used it in two different ways and can’t wait to experiment with it again. Here’s a couple of closeups….

More play with another Julie Nutting stamp. A reminder to myself to live in the Present! Renewed my love for Twinkling H2Os and texture paste!

The first scrapbook page I’ve done in quite awhile….

Last but certainly not least–

Proving to myself that I will never be a professional sketch artist!

Thanks for visiting today and I hope to see you again very soon!

Art Out With Your HeART Out

3 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as abstract, art journal, katyoaprty, masking tape, mixed-media, texture, Vintaj metal patina

February 21, 2014 · 3:51 pm

Simple Beauty and Comfort

A Soft Place To Fall

Hello hello friends! Today I want to tell you about A Soft Place To Fall. The sumptuous and textured beauty of a pillow in the picture above. I’ve owned this particular pillow for about 12 years–long enough to completely take it for granted and rarely even notice it anymore. This pillow resides on my bed as a decorative pillow perched atop all the other pillows–the real pillows–the utility pillows. But this pillow has a history that makes it special to me.

Several times during a year I frequent holiday fairs, art fairs, and craft fairs. I am an equal opportunity fair attendee and it doesn’t matter to me if it’s large or small, inexpensive or quite pricey–all fairs deserve my attention! So about 12 years ago I attended a quite large fair at a large venue. I would estimate 200+ vendors. Most had big, professional booths and displays. I was feeling like I was seeing the same and very similar items from aisle to aisle among the many sellers–homemade soaps, lotions, and candles; handcrafted woodwork knick-knack shelves; dried flower arrangements. If you frequent fairs you probably know of what I speak.

As my eyes were beginning to glaze over and I was preparing to leave the fair, I happened across a very small booth tucked in between two very large ones. This booth had two tables pushed together with a tablecloth. A small handmade sign was propped on the table and two mature ladies were seated off to one side. Their wares consisted of maybe two dozen decorative pillows of standard sizes and shapes and of simple solid fabrics. As I was about to pass by the booth one of the ladies made eye contact with me and said hello. Somehow I felt like it would be impolite to just breeze on by without a word. I began looking at the pillows and feeling the fabric of a few–squeezing a few. I really did not need or want a pillow. Soon these sweet ladies began to offer information about the various pillows–“oh that one has down filling” “this one is the first one I put fringe on” “I just love that color–that’s why I made it”. They were so warm and genuine and enthusiastic about their pillows! I asked where they were from and they named a very small town in Iowa that I did not recognize. What I did recognize in these women were their smiles, their friendly spirits, and their creativity. I picked out my green pillow and paid for it. They were positively thrilled and giggling. I was their first sale of the weekend.

These two ladies have stuck in my memory for all these years even though I don’t remember their names or the name of their small town. Their art–that soft soft pillow–has decorated my bed and comforted me for all these years. Bless you sweet ladies.

Art Out With Your HeART Out

4 Comments

Filed under Musings

Tagged as craft fairs, creativity, decorative pillow, friendliness, green, pillow

January 31, 2014 · 2:21 pm

Blending the Past and the Present

Hello hello! Hope all is well in your world. Thanks for visiting!

I did something today that involves blending the past and the present. I had a blog previous to this one and I wrote about a variety of subjects but many involved my creative projects. Well I discovered a WordPress tool that allows a blogger to meld one blog into another. So I did. Feel free to explore some of my older posts. I love comments–what blogger doesn’t–so let me know your thoughts!

For the past few weeks I’ve been obsessed with a few things–being creative, the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, and my team–the Denver Broncos!

Here are some creative projects I’ve worked on:

Super Simple and Sweet

Bloom Where You’re Planted In the Garden of Life

It Was A Wild Dance In Her Castle Of Dreams

It is said that art is in the eye of the beholder and although this might be a bit of a stretch…I appreciate all forms of art including sports! My most powerful current ~~obsession~~ appreciation of art is the Denver Broncos in the Superbowl this Sunday! Omaha Omaha–Hurry Hurry!! PFM PFM!! This Sunday will be SUPER! Time To Ride! Let’s go Broncos!

Until next time….Art Out With Your HeART Out!

4 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as creative projects, Denver Broncos, Hurry Hurry, katyoparty, mixed-media, Omaha, PFM

January 4, 2014 · 2:56 pm

Which Path For The New Year?

I hope today’s post finds all of you healthy and happy in this new year! Even though the world in my area is freezing and cold, I am feeling warm and creative on the inside. I enjoyed creating ornament gift bags for holidays….

I really enjoyed decorating the tree….

Now that all of that is behind me, like a lot of people, I’ve been considering my goals for the new year. Personally my goals are much like many people–work on balance in my life, lose a few pounds, be fiscally responsible, yadda yadda yadda.

Artistically my goals are not so clear these days. I love working with paper and mixed-media and paint and art journaling and beads. Over the years my skills and interests have expanded and changed and morphed and melded into a wonderful and colorful experience. With the start of the new year I find myself wanting to turn some sort of page with my creativity.

For the past few years I’ve experimented with selling my one of a kind mixed media cards and met with some success but now there are various outlets (i.e. discount stores, box stores, kits) that now sell handmade “looking” cards for cheap. I’ve decided to continue making cards for my own personal giving and also for art abandonment and charity purposes but no longer for retail sale in the traditional sense.

I’ve also enjoyed scrapbooking for the past 8 years or so. I’ve filled some nice fat albums with my layouts and given them as gifts at times. My family enjoys looking through them from time to time and appreciates the work I’ve put into them. I’ve belonged to several monthly scrapbooking kit clubs over the years (currently Swirlydoos), but there is no denying it is not the be-all and end-all of my creativity these days. I will continue to do my kind of scrapping but I’ve decided to really limit my participation in challenges and round robins. Sometimes I have so many deadlines to meet that I am not taking time to experiment and explore creatively outside those things.

2013 found me delving into the world of YouTube videos and photo tutorials for learning things and laughing at things. I even delved into making some video and photo tutorials myself (yikes!) Look up the Katyoparty channel if you want to check those out. I am enjoying the fumbling and funny learning curve that making videos entails. There is so much more to it than just clicking record…… I am going to continue to experiment in that area.

My fascination for mixed-media has been growing over several years and that is what I am whole-heartedly embracing these days. Art journaling is my current obsession for experimentation. I am completely enamored of art journaling because there are no rules or expectations and you can mix any technique, medium, and/or elements you desire. Do what your heart desires–it’s all good! I am going to continue with my art journal play.

My mixed media play has now jumped to canvas and I’ve been adding more paint and other mediums but I’ve only experimented on small substrates. I want to work on something bigger–something really messy!

I’ve never been published so I’m going to submit something to somewhere at least three times this year. How’s that for a vague-ish goal????

Another of my goals is one that is very well-known by many…..

Dance Like No One Is Watching

Dance Like No One Is Watching!

Until next time….Art Out With Your HeART Out!

3 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as mixed media art journal, paint, Swirlydoos

December 11, 2013 · 12:23 pm

A Post From The Tundra

Snow dancing!

I am only half joking as I write the title of this post. The high temperatures in the last week have been in the low teens to single digits. I am not a winter person. No sun = little ambition. Cold + no sun = no want to do nada. I’m not a math person either. Just FYI. In spite of all these calculations I have been making stuff. I’ve been making lots and lots of cards.

A pretty and girly card

A grungy card for mom using hand carved (by me) stamps, ball chain, altered ribbon, resin coating, and engraved foil tape.

Lots of mists, modeling paste, glass bead gel, Twinkling H2Os

Embossing, inks, and stamping

Back to the pretty pink and flowers, fussy cutting and ribbon

A tri-fold card with super patina and distresssed metal (started out shiny brass)–love this card!!!

Modeling paste, Lindy’s Stamp Gang mists, Inkagold pastes, and Silks

3D stencil paint, embellished Blue Fern Studios chipboard

All alcohol ink mixed with different mediums, except for the heart and wings which is colored with Inkagold

Small sign for a holiday fair booth

Custom birthday card made for client–antique doily piece, distressed chipboard keys and birdcage, stamping

Holiday cards packaged for sale

Custom birthday card for client–distressed barbedwire chipboard, modelling paste heart, bound like a book

holiday card using stencil cream, fussy cutting, flower and berry pick, ball chain and blingy dangle

Leftover snowflake die cut, piece of burlap string, stamping, distressing

glass bead gel on flower, misc leaf and berry pick, glitter smear, Heidi Swapp Color Shine mist

Stencil cream, doily pieces from stash colored with Lindys Stamp Gang mist, bling from stash

Non-traditional holiday card–distressing, twine, ribbons, stenciling, feathered flower colored with mists, Stickles touches

Ferro, Silks, mists,

Well, that last one is a layout of a most delightful salad I made one day!

I’ve also been working on some mixed media projects

5×7 flat canvas–used my photo

Wall hanging for a sweet little girl–Silks, acrylic paint, Gelatos, chipboard, lacy ribbon

5×7 canvas using all kinds of goodness including MuddPuddles–you can watch a video of the making of this piece on my YouTube channel–Katyoparty

Alcohol inks, stamping, Silks on recycled packaging–check out my YouTube channel–Katyoparty for more info on this project.

Please feel free to leave me questions, comments, compliments! Thanks for visiting!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut!

3 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as alcohol inks, creativity, holiday card, katyoparty, mixed-media, Silks, texture

November 24, 2013 · 10:08 pm

Happiness=Creativity

Hello Hello! What a wonderful creative fall season I am having! I traveled to a beautiful, serene, and healing place for some rejuvenation and it was absolutely all those things. I returned with renewed inspiration and mojo! Here are some of the things that inspired me.

A reflection spiral–

Beautiful bronze sculpture…

Beautiful hiking

Warm hearth and warm heart….

Here is a journal page using a Stencil Girl stencil designed by Sue Pelletier.

I will share some more of my art very soon in my next post. In the meantime…

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut!

2 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Musings

Tagged as inspiration, mixed media art journal, Sue Pelletier.

September 23, 2013 · 11:01 pm

Transitions

Fall is a time of transitions for Mother Nature. Fall is a time of transitions from the activities of the warm months of basking in the summer sun to the crisp temperatures and shorter days and slower pace of life Indoors. No longer do I crave those bright colored frozen desserts and drinks. It’s all about the transition to warm and hearty soups and rustic breads. It seems even my art palette is transitioning along with everything else. I’ve passed through my summer long pink phase and now find myself embracing rich metallic copper and bronze and vibrant rusts and reds. I’m leaning more toward leaves and straw and rough edged blooms. It’s strange and amazing how all these choices happen so subconsciously. I don’t plan on April 1st to use only bright tropical colors through Labor Day and then switch to a new palette through the winter months. Even the appeal of my favorite mermaid colors seems to have waned lately. I seem to be affected by strings of cloudy days and brittle cold temperatures so I am planning ahead this year. On those days when I feel as if I want to hibernate away and snarl at everyone within sight I am instead going to pull out all my brightest colors paints and inks and papers and recreate the beautiful warm scenes of summer. What do you plan to do to ward off the winter doldrums?

Art Out With Your HeART Out

4 Comments

Filed under Musings

Tagged as Fall, nature, palette, transitions, vibrant colors, winter

August 24, 2013 · 6:13 pm

Tango Time!

Hello hello! I’ve been having a wonderful and creative few days here at Create Chicago. Taking awesome classes and visiting with pals I’ve met at previous Create retreats here in Chicago. My first day here I took a class from the (in)famous Sue Pelletier. The class was called Create The Dress You Were Meant To Twirl and Spin In. Sue is a mixed media maven extraordinaire and it is absolutely charming to spend the day learning from her.

I made my dress a bodacious little tango number in the color my mother would never let me paint my room. I really enjoyed the process and building layers upon layers of paint and lace and ephemera and flowers. I will add a few more finishing touches when I return home tomorrow but for now…..anyone up for a tango???

Art Out With Your HeArt Out

6 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as bling, Create Chicago, katyoparty, mixed-media, SuePelletier, tango, texture

August 14, 2013 · 10:33 am

Dragonfly Dreams Canvas

Dragonfly Dreams of Being a Mermaid

This is an 8″x10″ canvas board I picked up at a thrift store earlier this summer. I’m guessing it might be 15-20 years old because I got eight of them in various sizes that were still in their original packaging and all for $2! What’s a girl to do with all those blank boards but start smooshing and spreading and getting her hands messy!

I started out with summer colors–bright orange and turquoise blue but as you can see that didn’t last long. I ended up with “mermaid colors”. The dragonfly began as a Tattered Angels piece that I misted and then built up with acrylic paint, Inkagold, and Shiva Paintstiks. At some point it was outlined with a Pitt pen.

The canvas itself is layered over and over again. I started out experimenting with Kroma Krackle and I am in love with this stuff! You can see the deep cracks in many areas. I put it down on one layer but then went back with it several times after adding more layers with different mediums.

My “swaying” peacock feathers were stencilled with glass bead gel over several layers of paint, mist, and Inkagold paste. I love the variations of color that you can see through the bead gel. I continued to layer with 3d stencil paint and then toned down the gold with Smooch sprays, Lindy’s Stamp Gang sprays, and Shiva Paintstiks.

I also used Golden Crackle Paste to stencil some flowers randomly in one of the first layers I put in the background. I used some Vintag metal brads to anchor a simple organza ribbon for hanging.

I am happy with the way this canvas evolved and turned out. Thanks for visiting and come back soon because you never know what can happen when you….

Art Out With Your HeART Out